Cinnamon-Sugar Cake
Each bite of this Cinnamon Sugar Cake is perfectly sweet, soft, and oh-so comforting! There’s no combo quite like cinnamon and sugar, and this easy cake recipe balances the warm notes of cinnamon perfectly with the sweetness of sugar. If you need a simple dessert that’ll be a surefire hit, make this cinnamon sugar cake!
Cinnamon Sugar Cake Recipe
My mom always taught us growing up that we shouldn’t have dessert before eating the main course of our dinner. As an adult, I’m now rethinking that childhood lesson pretty hardcore. This cinnamon sugar cake seems like the perfect cake to eat any time of the day, right?
Okay, just hear me out! Millions of people around the world eat cinnamon toast for breakfast, so why not replace it with this amazingly delicious cake recipe every once in a while? I mean really, if having a slice of this homemade cinnamon sugar cake topped with rich cinnamon buttercream frosting is wrong, I don’t want to be right.
If cake for breakfast isn’t on your agenda, no worries. A slice of this sweet, comforting cake is good no matter what time of day you eat it! Honestly, I think for my birthday this year I might ditch the usual funfetti and go for this recipe instead. It’s so easy to make, always a crowd-pleaser, and impossible to have just one bite of.
CINNAMON SUGAR CAKE INGREDIENTS
The ingredients in this cake are simple, just the way I like it! This is a classic, tried and true recipe that only calls for the most basic cake ingredients that always produce the softest, moistest cake. And the amount of cinnamon in it is just right!
CINNAMON SUGAR CAKE INGREDIENTS:
● FLOUR: 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour.
● BAKING POWDER: 1 teaspoon of baking powder.
● BAKING SODA: 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda.
● SALT: 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
● GROUND CINNAMON: 5 teaspoons of ground cinnamon.
● EGGS: 4 large eggs.
● SUGAR: 2 cups of granulated sugar.
● BUTTER: 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter.
● VANILLA EXTRACT: 3 teaspoons vanilla extract.
● SOUR CREAM: 1 cup sour cream.
CINNAMON BUTTERCREAM FROSTING INGREDIENTS:
● BUTTER: 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter. Make sure the butter is softened to room temperature before making the frosting.
● POWDERED SUGAR: 5 cups of powdered sugar.
● MILK: 2 Tablespoons of 2% milk or heavy whipping cream.
● GROUND CINNAMON: 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
● VANILLA EXTRACT: 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
● CINNAMON SUGAR: 1 Tablespoon of cinnamon-sugar to sprinkle on top of cake.
HOW TO MAKE CINNAMON CAKE
This cake comes together in just a few easy steps.
PRE-STEP: Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray two 9-inch round baking pans with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
MIX: In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and ground cinnamon. Set aside.
CREAM IT: In a large bowl, using an electric or stand mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs and sugar for about 2 minutes, or until light and creamy. Then, add the butter and vanilla extract and beat on low speed for about 1 minute, or until well blended.
COMBINE: Beat in the dry ingredients on low speed until blended. DO NOT OVER MIX! Add the sour cream and beat until smooth.
BAKE: Divide batter evenly into prepared baking pans. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool before frosting, of course!
MAKE THE FROSTING:
BEAT: Mix softened butter on medium speed with an electric or stand mixer. Beat for 30 seconds until smooth and creamy.
ADD: Add powdered sugar, milk, ground cinnamon and vanilla extract. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 minutes or until smooth.
ASSEMBLE: Spread the frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar.
CAKE BAKING TIPS
- DO NOT OVERMIX THE CAKE BATTER: When mixing the cake batter, do not over mix it. Over mixing will lead to a dry, dense cake. So once you add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, only mix all the ingredients until just combined. You will still see some flour in the bowl, and that’s okay!
- SLICE OF BREAD TRICK: Once cinnamon-sugar cake is done, place the two cake pans on top of a wired rack to cool before frosting. A little trick I learned is to place a slice of bread on top of each cake – this keeps the cake super moist when it’s cooling. You can also place two pieces of bread on each side of the cake after you have cut the cake into slices to help the leftover cake stay moist and not dry out. It’s the best trick in the book!
- FROSTING THE CAKE: To avoid getting crumbs in the frosting, cool the cake thoroughly before frosting it. Then, brush off any loose crumbs. Apply a very thin layer of frosting to set the crumbs (don’t worry if there are crumbs in this layer). Allow it to dry, then apply a thicker final top coat of frosting. Of course, crumb coats are also all the rage now, so you can go for that too!
BAKING TOOLS NEEDED
ELECTRIC MIXER: I love my KitchenAid Mixer! I use it for everything. I honestly couldn’t imagine baking without it these days!
MIXING BOWLS: I completely adore these mixing bowls. They’re so durable and the colors are so fun!
9-INCH CAKE PANS: These are the round cake pans I used to make this cake. They always get the job done!
I can’t ever make a cake without thinking… So what cake am I going to make next?! If you’re anything like me and can’t ever focus on just one cake, then I have some recipes for you to try! Banana Cake, Orange Creamsicle Cake, and Hot Chocolate Pumpkin Cake are just a few of my go-to recipes.
Cinnamon Cake
Ingredients
CAKE:
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened, 2 sticks
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup sour cream
CINNAMON BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened, 2 sticks
- 5 cups confectioners' sugar
- 2 Tablespoons 2% milk
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon cinnamon-sugar, sprinkle on top of cake
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray two 9-inch. round baking pans with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and ground cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, using an electric or stand mixer on medium speed, beat eggs and sugar for about 2 minutes, or until light and creamy. Add the butter and vanilla extract and beat on low speed for about 1 minute, or until well blended. Beat in the dry ingredients on low speed until blended. DO NOT OVER MIX! Add the sour cream and beat until smooth.
- Divide batter evenly into prepared baking pans. Bake 18 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow cake to cool before frosting.
MAKE THE FROSTING:
- Mix softened butter on medium speed with an electric or stand mixer. Beat for 30 seconds until smooth and creamy.
- Add powdered sugar, milk, ground cinnamon and vanilla extract. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 minutes or until smooth.
- Spread the frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar.
Notes
- SLICE OF BREAD TRICK: Once cinnamon-sugar cake is done, place the two cake pans on top of a wired rack to cool before frosting. A little trick I learned is to place a slice of bread on top of each cake – this keeps the cake super moist when it’s cooling. You can also place two pieces of bread on each side of the cake after you have cut the cake into slices to help the leftover cake stay moist and not dry out. It’s the best trick in the book!
- FROSTING THE CAKE: To avoid getting crumbs in the frosting, cool the cake thoroughly before frosting it. Then, brush off any loose crumbs. Apply a very thin layer of frosting to set the crumbs (don’t worry if there are crumbs in this layer). Allow it to dry, then apply a thicker final top coat of frosting. Of course, crumb coats are also all the rage now, so you can go for that too!
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This recipe is going with me for the rest of my life. It’s a banger!!
Made this for a family gathering and it was devoured within minutes! The cake is nice and moist, but the frosting takes it over the top. So yummy!
I found your site by Googling cinnamon cake as I was in a churro mood but wanted it in cake form. Kinda wish I never found this recipe because my mom asks for it every other week!! This cake is beyond good and disappears in my household. I once added whipped cream cheese as I was out of sour cream and it came out a little heavier but still good!
Made this cake for my brother’s birthday. My family’s favorite cookie is snicker doodles so I thought this would be well received. Wow, they loved it so much that there was nothing left for the next day. Will be making it again for my small group bible study this week. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe.
I just pinned this gorgeous cake and just HAD to come over and check it out! Looks incredible!!!
This cake is taking me straight to cinnamon sugar heaven 🙂
A co-worker I used to work with made a similar cake and it was amazing. I still dream about that cake. Cut me off a fat slab, please!